Sports Beat: Only thing sure is that one of them is lying

Saturday

Nov 23, 2013 at 12:01 AMNov 23, 2013 at 9:42 PM

There always is a danger when writing about a subject as volatile as the investigation surrounding Jameis Winston that by the time you click spell check cable TV could have streamed four trailers promoting breaking news.

Pat McCann | News Herald Executive Sports Editor

There always is a danger when writing about a subject as volatile as the investigation surrounding Jameis Winston that by the time you click spell check cable TV could have streamed four trailers promoting breaking news.

Such as Winston was seen having a latte with Marie Osmond the night an alleged sexual assault occurred, or that a person close to the investigation who chose to speak anonymously because they are not supposed to discuss any details has revealed that the state attorney’s office will file charges against Winston in the next 48 hours.

That is not intended to come off as flippant as it might read. The lower court of public opinion is as capricious as it is condemning, but the topic of sexual assault is extremely serious, no matter how inane any knee-jerk detours become.

What is beginning to become apparent is that we probably are heading toward a “she said, he said” intersection that seldom is beneficial to the accuser. If that indeed occurs, neither does it always benefit the truth.

Also to be determined is whether or not there was a female victim on the night of Dec. 7 in Tallahassee and if so, whether an attempt will be made to bring the alleged assailant to justice. Then again, the aftermath could decide whether or not those circumstances produce a male victim, namely Winston, whose reputation already has been tarnished and could become irreparably damaged depending on the outcome.

In the short term, make no mistake that the investigation hovers over a Florida State football program that instead of basking in the national limelight is being viewed through a shroud of uncertainty and disillusion.

In that same short term, neither is the Tallahassee Police Department nor the entire legal process in line for a standing ovation. Likewise, whenever the Seminoles are televised viewers can expect the pregame lead-in to focus on Winston and the off-the-field legalities that continue to unfold.

To not do so would be irresponsible, so college football fans need to expect that intrusion should they be of the rose-colored glasses persuasion.

Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, and we always can hope that it will be definitive one way or another, Winston’s Heisman Trophy platform surely will take a hit because of the controversy and surrounding publicity. That could be a byproduct from various media outlets boosting Winston for American Idol status at midseason and currently unleashing their bloodhounds in the cause of balanced reporting.

The majority of college football fans are awaiting a determination, while there is some fallout at a lesser percentage that most easily could be labeled pro-FSU or anti-FSU. The latter groups have a more selfish agenda than mere right and wrong.

Thus far, all that is certain is that either Winston or his accuser is trying to subvert the law. Our legal system ultimately will arrive at a suitable conclusion, or perhaps produce a muddled outcome that satisfies jurisprudence but doesn’t approach the truth.

If that disturbs some college football fans’ sense of propriety, they always have the BCS as a ready surrogate.

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